


Constellations

by LUC1FORM



Category: Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow, Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Basically chaos, Fluff, M/M, The Hamilfam at Columbia Uni
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-19 02:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29619045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LUC1FORM/pseuds/LUC1FORM
Summary: What if the Hamilfam met in college?From the moment Alexander stepped onto the soil of the continental United States and walked away from the islands where he grew up, he was drowning under the pressure of upholding a scholarship at the world-renowned Columbia University, scared as heck, and deprived of good coffee. On the other hand, college sophomore John was pleasantly surprised to have a new roommate.A romance quickly blossoms between the two as the year goes on, quickly becoming more eventful, and not always in a good way. Love, pain, and the looming threat of Alex's past result in unexpected and dangerous consequences for everyone as they attempt to struggle through already difficult college life.The saying goes that love always prevails, but is it really enough to outrun your ghosts?Or, ORGANIZED CHAOS AND A LOT OF SHIPSDisclaimer: All rights belong to Lin-Manuel Miranda.Kudos + comment if you like please!!
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan, Maria Reynolds/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Theodosia Burr Alston/Philip Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson/James Madison
Comments: 7
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, fellow Hamilfans! It's me, LUC1FORM, and I present to you the beginnings of a 27,000 word long fic about basically every single ship in the fandom! I'm not kidding, almost everyone gets a match, and if not, ship (name)/happiness because they really all deserve it! I'm going to take all the characters and see how they fare in present-day Columbia Uni. Just so you know, I have very limited knowledge of college, and although have been subtly pestering my parents ("So, did you just get to walk off campus?") I didn't get a lot of info and have no real-life experience. Also, every chapter is broken up into mini sections when there in a POV change. I would LOVELOVELOVE any comments (Have I mentioned that I love comments?) just DON"T BE MEAN AND KEEP IT CLEAN! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!!  
> Set fire to the stars,  
> LUC1FORM
> 
> Disclaimer: All rights belong to Lin-Manuel Miranda, because I can't give them to the actual people.  
> Kudos + comment if you like! :)

**_Alexander_ **

I took a deep breath.

I was standing on the lawn of Columbia. The foliage around me was in full bloom and the lawn looked spectacular. I wasn’t really sure of what to expect of this new school: I was probably one of the few nineteen-year-olds here in the second year of college. I hoped that I wouldn’t be picked on because of it; it wasn’t much of a subject of comfort.

_ Well, here goes nothing,  _ I thought, pushing open the college doors.

The hallway was already swarming as students pushed their way through in clusters to get to their lockers, all wearing the same white button-down shirts, black pants or skirts, and tailored, gold buttoned suit-like coats in various colors. I started grinning absentmindedly as I took in the scene. This was my kind of place. 

I only realized I had been standing still in the entryway when I bumped into someone. Books went flying. 

“Pardon,” I said, whipping around and stooping down to pick up some of the fallen books. I flushed and mentally criticized myself.  _ You idiot Alex, I thought you decided to talk more American! Or, continental United States, I guess.  _

“Sorry,” said the person I’d bumped into. I looked down at the labels on one of the books.

“Aaron Burr,” I said aloud, handing him the textbook.

“That’s me,” he said, and, picking up his books, turned back around.

The doors opened again behind me. Three boys entered, all laughing loudly. They looked like they knew each other. 

I started walking to try and find my dorm. My schedule dictated it was on floor three, room number one hundred seventy-four. The stairwell was located on the far side of the building. And they were not joking about the number of stairs. I absentmindedly started counting: there were forty-two on the way to floor three.

Light filtered through the windows, illuminating the brass number plates next to a long row of identical doors. I found the one that said one hundred and seventy-four and pushed the door open. It was empty, but there were noises coming from the adjacent room. 

Well, no matter how bad I was at social interaction, I should at least get to know some people here.

Hesitantly, I pushed the door open.

* * *

**_John_ **

I flopped onto the bed, yawning. I turned on my phone and went to the group chat. There were four new messages. All from Peggy. 

_ She texts too much,  _ I thought as I read them over quickly.

**andPeggy: Is your dorm mate here yet? Mine is**

**andPeggy: Some girl named Theodosia, IDK**

**andPeggy: I’m hungry**

**and Peggy: Maybe I’ll have lunch with my roomie**

You could say Peggy was his most social friend. She loved meeting new people. Actually, it was kinda scary sometimes.

His phone pinged again.

**FrenchFry: No idea who my roommate is**

**HM: Its me**

**FrenchFry: Mon erreur**

He added a quick text to it.

**Turtles!: Mine isn’t here yet**

The freshly made dorm already had its floor covered with clothes strewn all around. Which weren’t mine.

“Hercules! Get over here and pick up your clothes!” I shouted. 

“Sorry. I was sewing,” said a muffled voice from somewhere outside.

“ _ Oui,  _ Hercules,” said Lafayette. “ _ il y a un gros gâchis _ .”

“A what? No one can understand you, Laf,” I said.

“He said, ‘there is a giant mess’,” said a quiet voice. 

We both turned to the door, which was now open. A boy stood in the open archway. He was short, with brown-red hair that went halfway down the length of his neck. He was wearing the standard uniform with a battered brown coat. He was carrying a small sack of belongings with him. 

“You speak French?” asked a surprised Laf to the newcomer. 

“Fluently,” he replied. “I’m Hamilton. Alexander. Alexander Hamilton.”

“Wait, what?” I asked. “I’m confused.”

“Just call me Alex. Are you…”

“I’m John Laurens. And this is-”

“ _ Je M'appelle Lafayette _ ,” said Laf, finishing the sentence. “Well, that’s my last name, but my first name is far too long. Don’t bother with it.”

“Okay then,” said Alex.

“And Hercules is out there somewhere, too.  _ Je ne sais pas _ .” finished Laf.

“Are you new here?” I asked. “I haven’t seen you here before.” 

“Yeah. I just moved here.”

“From where?”

“The Caribbean,” he responded evasively. 

“That’s cool,” I said. “I’m going back to my dorm now.”

“We share a dorm. I like your pet turtle.”

I flushed. I forgot that I left the tank out on the desk. Now that I thought about it, I wasn’t sure if I should have brought him. Actually, I didn’t really know if we were allowed to bring pets or not. I just did anyway.

“Thanks. His name is Washington.”

Alex snickered. “Like our history Professor Washington?”

“Wait.” I must have looked horrified. “We have a professor named Washington?”

Alex started laughing, and it was contagious. I started laughing too.

We walked back together to our shared dorm. I looked down. In comparison to my side of the room, his was just immaculate. Honestly, I didn’t know it was possible for sheets to be that crisp. “Someone’s very organized,” I remarked. His side of the room already looked a lot tidier than mine. But anyone could have a tidier room than me. It was very easy to do.

“I haven’t really unpacked yet. Not that I have much to unpack.”

He pulled out an old-fashioned calligraphy pen, a notebook, a toothbrush set, soap and shampoo, ten textbooks, an iPhone 5, and a dated computer. I looked down at my pile: there were only seven textbooks. He must have been taking extra courses.

I heard a soft rumbling. I looked over at Alex. He looked back embarrassedly. 

“Sorry. I haven’t eaten all day. I just flew in this morning.”

“Why don’t we go eat something?” I suggested. “My friend Peggy is going to eat, too.”

“Okay, sure,” he said. “I’m tired after that hour of Economics.”

“What?” I asked in terror. 

“What what?” asked Alex.

“Did I miss a class? Not Economics, but a different class. Like, whatever class I had. If I did. Did I?” I decided to shut up and stop rambling aimlessly in every direction.

Alex laughed again. This time, I recognized it better. And I liked it. It sounded nice. Something inside me warmed when I heard it.

“No, I’m just taking extra courses so I am taking a few of them early in the morning. I was just finishing up some pre-school coursework.” 

“How early?” I asked as we walked out.

“Oh, five,” he replied casually.

“Five? A.M.?” I squeaked. “Too early.”

* * *

**_Alexander_ **

It was hard to resist laughing at this show of terror. For someone so tall, I did not expect fear at taking classes at 5 am. 

“Yes. Five A.M. I wake up at four-thirty.”

“ _ Four-thirty?  _ That’s madness!” he gasped.

“Four-thirty,” I said, smiling relentlessly. “Where are we going, by the way?”

“A sandwich place near the campus,” he said. He pulled out his phone.

**Turtles!: Meet you 4 lunch**

**andPeggy: Yay! lunch**

**andPeggy: I’ll be there. I’m leaving Theodosia, she’s taking too long. I’ll bring Herc and Laf instead**

“Okay, they’re coming,” said John. “The people you met earlier. And Peggy, of course. I wonder where her sisters are. They usually have to prevent her from doing something like throwing a dorm party in the first five minutes of arrival.”

“Okay,” I said, not really knowing what to say.

We walked over to the shop and John looked at the billboard displaying all of their sandwiches. 

I dug through my pockets. “Shoot! I left my money upstairs,” I said. 

“It’s on me,” John said. His face tinged a little red and he looked away quickly. “What do you want?”

“I’ll take whatever you’re having,” I said without really thinking. 

“Okay then,” said John, his voice jumping an octave.

Okay. Was I making this awkward? I hoped not. I’d never had friends before, and I wanted to make them proud.

Three figures appeared from behind a corner: Lafayette, Hercules, and a girl with tan skin and curly, dark hair. The girl came bounding forward.

“Hi!” she said. “I’m Peggy. Do you know my sisters? Most people think of me as their younger sister. Which is a little annoying.” she said.

“No, I just moved here.”

“Ohmygosh that's so cool! I don’t know anyone from anywhere else. Except for Laf. But he’s been pen pals with Angie  _ forever.” _

“Angie?” I asked, confused.

“Angelica. She’s my oldest sister. There’s also Eliza. I have no idea where they are. Eliza might have gone to the art studio early. I think she took my grade A charcoal drawing pencils. That was a gift. I thought I locked that drawer.”

Hercules looked over and said, “She talks a million miles per hour.”

“I do not!” Peggy huffed. “Anyway. I’m famished. I’m going to get something.”

She dragged Lafayette, who was holding on to Hercules, all the way to the small shop. It looked quite funny from a distance.

I looked up at John, who was chewing his sandwich. It was almost finished.

“How do you eat so fast?” I asked. 

“Hmm? I eat fa-oh.” said John, seemingly realizing his sandwich was three-fourths gone. “I have no idea.”

We looked back at the others. “Peggy’s rich,” said John all of a sudden, which startled me out of a silence unbroken save chewing. “Her family’s loaded. Their dad is paying for their tuition.”

“Okay,” I said. Money was a bit of an awkward topic for me. “Why bring it up all of a sudden?”

“Oh,” said John, looking embarrassed. “I just wanted those charcoal pencils.”

* * *

**_John_ **

Classes started the next day. By the time I woke up, Alex had already left the room, bed made and immaculate as always. I yawned and checked the time: six twenty-five.

Wait... _ six twenty-five?  _ Class started in five minutes! I threw on the uniform, completely forgetting the coat, grabbed my backpack and ran out the door, across the building. Luckily, this class was relatively nearby. When I saw the right room I skidded to a halt, flung open the door, and slid into the nearest seat, which was in between Alex and an annoying, whiny kid named Charles Lee. The bell rang as I slid into my seat.

“Late?” asked Alex, raising an eyebrow.

“Who? Me?” I joked, pulling out a textbook and pencil.

The teacher walked in seconds after I sat down. From that moment, as I expected, we went over names. Teachers always do that on the first day. Then, they handed out a short quiz that we had the rest of the class to complete. I finished it in the first twenty minutes or so. When I looked up, Alex was already done and had pulled out his notebook and started writing in it. Seeing as I did not have a notebook, I ended up just staring out of the window for the rest of the class. 

Looking back, that was probably not the greatest idea because when I was walking back to the dorm, I realized I had absolutely no idea what the coursework was.

_ Alex probably knows,  _ I thought. Except he wasn’t here. And I really wanted to get that coursework done before more piled up on my plate. 

I thought about calling him, but I realized I had never asked for his phone number earlier. And he could be anywhere-halfway across the campus in another class, for all I knew. I looked around the room. Alex’s journal was sitting on the desk. Maybe he wrote it down there. I opened it up to the first page.

**_October 1st_ **

**_Am_ **

**_I_ **

**_In_ **

**_Love?_ **

  
  


I gasped and slammed the journal-the dairy-shut. I should not have opened that. It wasn’t mine. Bad idea. 

_ But the scary thing is,  _ I thought to myself as I got into bed and crawled inside my covers, heart pounding,  _ I don’t know how to tell if I feel the same. _

* * *

**2 days later**

**October 3rd, Thursday**

**_Eliza_ **

“Peggy, slow down!” I said, trying to tug my arm free as she yanked me across the hallway and up a flight of stairs. “Where are you taking me, anyway?”

“I want you to meet someone,” she said, running even faster. I practically fell over every single step because my heavy black uniform skirt was preventing me from running up the stairs at this weird angle. I wasn’t sure how my younger sister did it. “I also want my charcoal pencils back.”

“I forgot about that, sorry,” I said as we collapsed in a heap on the third landing. “And who do you want me to meet? Not John or Lafayette or Hercules...you’ve already introduced me to most of the school!”

“Most of the school,” said Peggy, grinning wildly. “But not all of it.”

“Honestly, Peggy, I have no idea what you do with your life sometimes,” said Angie, coming up the stairs in a slower and less violent manner. She looked up at the wall and groaned. “It’s only day four and they’ve already started putting up posters for the Halloween dance. And they want volunteers. I am  _ not  _ volunteering again this year.” 

“It’s not a dance, it’s a party!” said Peggy. “Hmm. I think I’ll bring cupcakes; do you think I should?”

“No,” said Angelica at the same time I said, “It’s definitely a dance.”

“Whatever,” said Peggy. “No way am I thinking of it like a dance.”

“Peggy,” I said, “that’s because you are chill with literally everyone in the school.  _ Everyone.” _

“Maybe,” she said evasively. We followed her down a hallway toward the boy’s dorms to room one hundred seventy-four. She knocked loudly on the door and called “John? Alex? Are you there? Can we come in?”

“Alex?” I mouthed to Angelica who just shook her head in a  _ I have no idea  _ way. The door opened to reveal John and another boy I didn’t know who had reddish-brown hair and a bit of a tattered coat, which somehow he managed to make look dashing even though the look was a bit old-fashioned.

“Alex, these are my sisters I mentioned, Angelica and Eliza. Angelica and Eliza, this is-well, you know John-and Alex.”

The scruffy-looking boy held out a hand Angelica shook it. 

“My name’s Angelica Schuyler,” she said. 

“Alexander Hamilton. Just Alex, for short.” the boy-Alexander-responded.

“I’m Eliza. Nice to meet you,” I said. As I shook his hand, I realized the sun had moved across the sky and when the light caught his eyes, they looked violet. That sent butterflies tumbling through my stomach. 

Peggy was already in their dorm room. Evidently, she’d been here before. 

“John, I didn’t know you had a pet turtle!” she said. “It’s really cute. Can I feed it?”

“Thanks,” mumbled John. “Apparently I gave it a bad name, though. You can feed him.” When he said that his gaze flitted to Alexander and quickly away. I could tell Angie hadn’t missed that either; she was really good at noticing small details.

“When did you meet Peggy, Alexander?” I asked, attempting to start a conversation. 

“She invited us out to lunch,” he replied.

“Of course she did,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Do you know how many people she knows? And it’s almost certain that she’ll volunteer at the Halloween dance.”

“Wait. Dance? There’s a Halloween dance?” said a flustered Hercules, bursting in from the adjacent room. “I can’t dance!”

“ _ Ralentissez, mon ami, _ ” said Lafayette, following him in. “I will teach you how, the French way.” He grabbed onto Hercules and pulled him out of the room.

I smiled a little. “Those two…” I began. 

“What language do you take?” I asked, trying to continue the conversation.

“Me? Well, I speak English, French, and I’m seeing if there’s a course in Anglo-Saxon here too,” said Alexander.

“Anglo-Saxon!?” I asked. “Old English? Why?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I just think it’s interesting.”

From there, the conversation took off. He began to ease up and share more with Angelica and I, until she asked, “So where’s your family from?”

“Unimportant. The Caribbean.” He muttered.

That was interesting. I was sure there had to be more to his backstory, but before I could ask anything else, Peggy was already saying goodbye to John and tugging us out the door once more.

“So, did you like him?” she asked when we were outside.

“He’s interesting,” said Angelica.

I personally agreed.

_ The sky’s the limit, Eliza,  _ I thought. _Come what may._

  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Did anyone get the Moulin Rouge reference I dropped at the end of the last chapter? Yes? No? Maybe? Anyway, I know this relationship is progressing fast, but I don't care because I ship it. Here's some fluff...more will come soon!

**_Alexander_ **

My fingers raced over the keyboard, non-stop. I had been typing for hours after Peggy had brought her sisters to visit us, which was nice, but the whole time I couldn’t stop thinking of the slowly piling up mountain of Honors coursework that was sitting around, waiting for me to finish it for tomorrow. I didn’t even notice the sun sink below the horizon.

“Alex,” said John. “I’m back.”

“You’re back?” I asked, continuing to type. “Where did you even go?”

“To get coffee. I told you, remember?”

I paused and turned around. “I’m sorry, I must have been zoning you out. I have so much coursework, and more than half of it is due tomorrow.”

“Alex, you should take fewer classes. It’s ten o’clock right now. Anyway, I was going to say that I brought you coffee in case you were still awake.” He handed me a steaming cup.

“Thanks,” I said, hoping the darkness outside would cover the red creeping into my cheeks. I sipped the coffee. It was a little bitter for my taste, but John was enjoying it, and some voice in my head didn’t want to let him down. 

“Apologies if it’s too strong. I thought you might want to try it. It’s my favorite.”

“No, it’s great. If you like it, why wouldn’t I try it?”

Something changed in John’s expression which made me nervous in a sort of a good way.

“I think you should go to sleep now. Tomorrow’s Friday, and that’s your last day of coursework. You’ll have the rest of the weekend to finish.”

“You’re right,” I said, sighing. I finished the sentence and shut the laptop. 

John sat down on his bed. “Can I?” I asked hesitantly. John gestured next to himself. “Go ahead, have a seat.”

I sat down next to him. “Are you tired?” I asked. “Not really,” he responded truthfully. “Then why do you want me to go to sleep if you’re not?” I pointed out.

“You have dark circles under your eyes. If I guess right, I’m assuming you’ve been going to bed late-maybe eleven-thirty. Without coffee. You can’t do it without coffee. Coffee is life.”

I flopped backward. “You would’ve thought there was a lot more to life.”

In seconds, I was asleep.

* * *

**_John_ **

“Alex. Alex, wake up,” I said, softly shaking him from side to side. “Alex. ALEX!” I shouted in his ear.

Alex shot up bolt upright. “Wha-what time is it?” he asked.

“Showtime?” I suggested.

“Not helpful,” he mumbled. Rubbing his eyes, he shook himself out of the covers and walked over to the clock. Then he stopped and turned back around.

“Wait. That was not my bed.”

“No, it wasn’t,” I agreed. “You fell asleep in mine.”

“Oh,” he whispered.

“Yeah,” I said, “It’s fine. I invited you.”

Alex turned back to the clock. And screamed. “What was that for?” I demanded, covering my ears. 

“It's four. Four fifty-nine.  _ Four fifty-nine.  _ I’m going to be late. And it hasn’t even been a week!” he wailed, gathering up his stuff. I noticed he had fallen asleep without changing his clothes. I guess that was convenient. 

“And what do I tell the teacher?” he continued, trying and failing to tug on his shoes. “I can’t say I have been under sleeping and finally fell asleep in my roommate's bed and woke up half an hour late!”

“That sounds a bit weird,” I admitted. “I would just go with the under sleeping bit. Don’t worry, the cycle will only get easier. It’s college life.”

“What if I don’t want to be stuck in the same cycle?” He said.

“Well-Alex, what are you doing?”

Alex had pulled the window open, letting in the crisp fall air, and was pulling himself over the sill.

“I’m taking the fire escape. Then I’m a lot closer to the classroom; it’s across the garden.” He said. “Don’t worry, it’s completely safe.”

I watched him clamber down easily, jump into the garden and start running across the lawn desperately until he was just a little dot in the distance. 

_ Now if only I could go back to sleep,  _ I thought.

Of course, I couldn’t get back to sleep after that.

I tossed and turned in bed but my mind kept wandering, refusing to let me sleep. Finally, I decided to get a head start on some coursework due on Monday, even though it was Friday because I had already finished up all of it that was due today.

I sat down at the shared desk and opened my laptop, preparing to write an essay on marine biotechnology, or really anything of that sort, even feeding Washington the Not-Professor. But once again, my gaze slid over to Alex’s diary sitting in plain view on the desktop.

_ Don’t look, it's not yours!  _ Said one voice in my head. 

_ Look! Who is he talking about? You barely know each other, maybe this will help you know him better!  _ Said the other conflicting voice.

_ Why are you so interested in him, anyway?  _ Said the first voice.

_ Shut up,  _ I mentally instructed both of them. I closed my eyes for a second, hoping I wouldn’t regret this, and opened the diary.

**_Oct. 2_ **

**_J_ **

Just a J? Why? I flipped to the next page.

**_Oct. 3_ **

**_O_ **

**_Oct. 4_ **

**_H_ **

**_Oct. 5_ **

**_N_ **

John.

It spelled my name.  _ My  _ name. Mine. My name.

Something between us had changed. He didn’t know it just yet. But I had accepted it.

I flipped to the very last page of the diary, fingering it slowly and smoothing it out carefully. I picked up his pen, hesitating. Then I added my entry. 

* * *

**1 day later**

**Oct. 6th, Saturday**

**_Peggy_ **

“It’s the weekend! Finally!” I shouted, throwing my pillow at my roommate, Theodosia’s, head. 

“Don’t do that,” she said grumpily.

“Whatever,” I said. “I’m going. Bye!”

Theodosia sighed as I flung open the door and ran down the hall to Eliza’s room and banged on the door.

“Eliza! It’s Saturday! No coursework!” I shouted through the door.

“I’m still tired, Peggy, and Maria is asleep,” said Eliza, who was wearing her nightgown, as she groggily opened the door. “And yes, I am aware it is Saturday.”

“Fine. If you’re not getting out of bed, I’m going to Angie.”

“God knows where she is,” mumbled Eliza, shutting the door.

Well then, if Angelica wasn’t in her room, she was probably getting breakfast at her favorite bakery, which was across the street. But I was definitely not going alone.

“To the third floor, then,” I said under her breath to herself, climbing down a flight of stairs and turning at the corner.

“Helooooo???” I said, stopping outside room one hundred seventy-four. “Anyone there? It’s the weekend.”

No reply.

“Ugh,” I said, kicking the door. “Why is everyone ignoring me?” Frustrated, I kicked the door again, and it swung open. 

“Okay then,” I said, walking in and wiping my hands on my sweatpants.

I hesitantly walked inside. One bed was abandoned, and Alex and John were wedged together on one of the twin beds, fast asleep.

“Whoops,” I whispered and attempted to discreetly shuffle out. Unfortunately, the door squeaked loudly as she tried to close it. I froze as Alex flinched, opened his half-asleep eyes, and yanked the covers back over himself, pulling them out from under John and causing him to topple over the side of the low bed. 

“Ow. What was that for?” moaned John, rubbing his eyes.

“What was what for?” asked Alex. He looked towards the door sleepily. “Oh, hi Peggy.”

Then he paused and reconsidered what he just said. “Wait-what?”

“Peggy?” asked John from the floor.

“Hi?” I asked. 

This time, John and Alex froze, seeming to realize that I had walked into something they’d rather not have shared.

“Peggy-” began John, but then he stopped, not really knowing what to stay. I felt the same way. I just stood there awkwardly. 

“You two make a good pair,” I said finally, and quickly slipped out the door. Outside, I peered through the tiny sliver left open. John and Alex were looking at each other, almost like they were considering something.

I guess I’d just get breakfast on my own, then.

I shut the door and let them be.

* * *

**1 week, 1 day later**

**Oct. 14th, Sunday**

**_John_ **

“I’m sorry about last Saturday,” I said. 

Alex looked at me. “Why?” he asked, offering me a bite of his croissant. I shook my head and just sipped my too-sweet coffee.

“Because now I’ve made things weird. Peggy probably thinks that, too.”

“Peggy doesn’t strike me as the person to judge much.” He replied.

I stared up at the bottom of the leaves of the giant tree we were sitting under. Only a few of the morning sun’s rays penetrated the thick foliage, and sunspots danced alongside leaf-shaped shadows. 

“Your phone is buzzing, you know,” remarked Alex.

“I wasn’t really paying attention,” I replied, pulling it out from my pocket and answering.

**HM: Where are you? Laf and I have looked everywhere**

**Turtles!: We’re on the lawn, under the big oak**

**HM: We?**

**Turtles!: Alex is here too**

I shut off my phone before I could make things more awkward. Again.

“Hercules was just wondering where we were.”

“Oh,” said Alex, and we lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. Finally, he said, “I think they’re here now.”

I looked up. Hercules and Lafayette were waving to us from the other side of the lawn. I waved back.

“We’ve been looking for you!” he shouted as they ran across the lawn.

“We’re here!” I shouted back as they approached us. 

They sat down underneath the shade of the tree next to us. Lafayette started having a rigorous conversation in French with Alex. They were talking so rapidly that even if I knew French I probably wouldn’t have been able to understand it.

“I can’t get a word they’re saying,” said Hercules. He pulled out a sewing needle and a piece of cloth from his pocket.

“What are you doing?” I asked. 

“Sewing. Though there’s not much to sew, honestly. I think I’ll just make the school logo or something.”

“Have you already had breakfast?” I asked.

“Oh, a while ago. It’s more of a brunch time right now, though. You must have woken up pretty late.”

“That is a fair assumption,” I responded. “I ended up staying up an extra half an hour last night just trying to get Alex to stop doing his coursework.”

“Not relatable at all,” replied Hercules, picking out a stitch and redoing it. “Laf was trying to convince me to actually do my coursework and stop sewing.”

“I heard that!” said Lafayette, reverting to English before continuing with his conversation.

“It goes both ways, I guess,” I said. Absentmindedly, my gaze flitted to Alex. His brow was furrowed, like he was thinking of something. He looked slightly adorable in that expression.

He looked up. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” I said. “Just your expression. It’s just so...so…”

“Adorable.” finished Hercules, finally looking up. “I’m finishing your sentence for you, John.” 

Alex blushed furiously and I smiled a little. 

“ _ Oui, il est,”  _ said Lafayette.

“ _ Taisez-vous!”  _ said a now both grinning and blushing Alex.

“Did you get your coursework finished?” I asked.

“Finally, yes,” he responded, probably glad of the change of subject. 

“That’s good,” remarked Hercules, “Because Peggy and her sisters are here now. And if you know Peggy, you’re probably not going to get a break for a while.”

* * *

**_Alexander_ **

_ Wow, Hercules really was right,  _ I thought.  _ Once Peggy comes, you really don’t get a break. Especially on Sundays. _

Once Peggy had started talking, she hadn’t stopped until Angelica dragged her away after another two hours. Eliza was laughing almost the whole time until I’d caught her eye by accident. Then she stopped. 

I tapped my pen against the desk and pushed back my chair, setting my diary back. I hadn’t really added anything, only re-read what I had already written. The words seemed foreign and I started to worry that I had jumped too far too soon. But the feelings were truthful, and I wouldn’t lie about that.

I looked over at John, who was sitting on the floor with his sketchbook open. He kept looking up at his turtle ever so often.

“Are you sketching?” I asked.

“Yeah,” said John. “It’s not that good, though.”

“Show me,” I said, raising an eyebrow. John handed over the open page from his sketchbook. He was totally self-deprecating: The picture almost looked like a black-and-white photo, with infinitely more and better shading and detail. 

“John,” I said seriously. “This is amazing.”

“Thanks,” he said, taking it back. “I’m probably going to go to sleep now. You should, too. Get rest once in a while.”

“Fine,” I agreed, not bothering to change my clothes. I clambered into my bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Today, I have prepared for you a chapter that starts happily and then ends on a cliffhanger, plus a Halloween dance and FINALLY and Angelica POV! I made that sound like a presentation on a cooking show, but whatever. I hope you like it! Pls kudos if you do! :D

**6 days later**

**Oct. 21st, Friday**

_ Alexander _

_ Finally, a Friday,  _ I thought, buttoning up my pale blue coat over my bleach-white shirt.  _ And the last time this week I have to wear  _ this. 

I scooped up my books and headed outside my room. I went down two flights of stairs, turned right, and opened the door to my first-period History, with Professor Washington, the not-turtle.

Today’s lesson was based around writing an essay to back up a piece of writing relating to the pros and cons of globalization in the United States of America. Maybe I shouldn’t have picked both American history and economics to minor in.

_ I’m glad I have this writing, or else I would be facing a B because I know absolutely nothing about America, except a few books I’ve read. _

At first, my fingers didn’t move on the keyboard, but slowly words began to trickle out and it soon became a torrential downpour. I didn’t look up for the next hour until three more pages had been completed and the bell had rung. I quickly finished my sentence and turned it in.

“Mr. Hamilton. Mr. Burr. Stay back a second, will you?” Professor Washington asked.

“Of course,” we both replied in unison. I looked at Aaron Burr, the boy who I’d met on my first day here briefly. I didn’t think I know much about him, except he’s majoring in law. He looked back and shrugged. 

We waited for the class to file out.

“I read both of your essays,” he began, taking a small pair of glasses off his nose. “And they are both excellent. I’d like both of you to fill this application out.”

“An application for what?” Burr asked.

“About halfway through the year, two ‘shadows’ who are both in their senior year in high school will come and stay with two college students here for a few months. Both have received scholarships here, and have agreed to study here rather than their regular high schools to take accelerated courses. I’d like both of you to apply to be their mentor, as you could put it. They’d go to the same classes as you, sleep in your dormitory...and I’m sure you’d make new friends.”

“Okay,” I said, glancing at the sheet. “Thank you.”

“Think about it, both of you,” Professor Washington called out as we exited the room. “I think you’ll have a good shot at it.”

I hurried up the corridor to catch up with John.

“What was that about?” he asked.

“I don’t know, he wanted me and Aaron Burr to fill out these two application forms to temporarily mentor two high-school shadows.”

“Oh,” he said, and shrugged. “Sounds cool. You should fill it out.”

“I will,” I said. “I’ll try to finish before the next class.”

“Your next class is the least of your worries,” said John.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“They even give us a day off for it. In a little more than a week,” John grimaced, “Is the Halloween Dance.”

* * *

**1 week later**

**Oct. 31st, Friday**   


_ Angelica _

I finished lacing up the back of my casual, millenium-pink dress and threw my thick, wavy hair over my shoulder, not even bothering to look in the mirror. Seconds later, I heard a knock at the dormitory door. I must have been the only person in the entire school to have a room to myself.

Peggy and Eliza stood in the doorway next to each other. Peggy was wearing a short, breezy yellow silk top with her hair in a ponytail as usual, and Eliza had on a loose mint shift dress. Behind them were two other girls I didn’t recognize: one with tan skin and frizzy hair, almost similar to Peggy, wearing red, and another, taller girl with cinnamon-brown skin, similar to my caramel, crazy curls, and a nice purple top on.

“Hi, Angelica!” Peggy said. “This is Maria-” she pointed to the girl in red- “And Theodosia.”

“Just Theo for short is fine,” said Theodosia. “Is everyone ready?”

“I’m ready to eat something, if that helps,” I reply. “I’m starving!”

“That was fast,” said Eliza as we hurried down a few flights of stairs into one of the meeting rooms that had a large silver banner on it declaring it to be the correct room.

The room is decorated in shades of purple, orange, and black. On one side people were milling about, music was playing, and on the other-

“Food!” Maria gasped and immediately grabbed a cupcake, and we all laughed. Just then, Hercules and Laf walked in together.

“That means John and Alex aren’t too far behind,” I mutter to Eliza, who nodded casually.

True to my words, the two of them burst in together, laughing. They seemed so happy together.

I looked over at my sister, who’s eyes were locked on Alex’s even though he was too busy chatting with John to notice. They reached over and grabbed each other’s hands, and John pulled Alex to the side. Eliza’s gaze followed.

“Eliza,” I whisper. She looks up at me. “It’s okay.”

She looked away.

“I know you like him, but look. They’re so into each other.”

Her gaze dropped to the floor.

“You’ll find the right person. No one can resist you. I promise.” I whisper. “Now go have a good time with your friends.”

Eliza steeled herself and nodded, following a beckoning Maria to the side of the room to get more cupcakes before Theodosia ate them all. I followed Peggy over to Laf and Hercules.

“You’re not going to eat  _ all  _ of the snacks, are you?” I asked Hercules, raising an eyebrow. “Between you, Maria, and Theodosia, there will be nothing left by the end of this.”

“Then go get some!” said Hercules, finishing off a cookie.

“ _ Tu es au-delà de moi,”  _ said Lafayette, shaking his head. “I’m not eating.”

I drifted off to the snack bar, of which there were few snacks actually left: The raisin cookies, sparkling water, and some alcoholic beverages if you could prove you were over 21. I took the sparkling water. 

Looking behind my shoulder, I saw Eliza twirling around with her roommate Maria, hands clasped, until they both toppled over, dizzy. I also saw Alex and John in a corner together. John grabbed his hand and gave him a tiny peck on the cheek. Blushing a violent crimson, Alex met his eyes as they grinned wildly.

_ Gosh, I hope Eliza’s not too set on him,  _ I thought.  _ Because those two are made for each other. _

* * *

_ Alexander _

The surge of joy that I felt for that one second was enough to make me forget the application, the way Eliza was staring at me, the heap of coursework I’d pick up tomorrow. I wanted to tell John to do it again, just one more peck, but that part of my head was locked down. I didn’t say anything.

Disappointment swelled as we made our way back at around midnight, both exhausted. 

“Well, it’s November now,” said John as we staggered up the far-too-many stairs. “One month gone.”

“It hasn’t felt like a month,” I said. “Just a short week or so.”

“Are you kidding me?” asked John incredulously. “That one month felt like three, carried along by a stream of coursework.”

“I’m sure you’ll love it when that ‘stream of coursework’ becomes a river and goes over the floodplains.”

John shot me a disgusted look. I returned it with a grin.

“What? It’s just coursework.”

“Coursework means no sleep. Or any time to sketch or anything.”

“True.”

John sighed and ruffled his already ruffled hair. Why did ruffling his hair make my heart skip?

“It’s just the beginning of a lot more of this, that’s all. And the only thing that could possibly spare us is coffee,” he said.

I wasn’t sure about the coffee saving our souls, but he was right about the rest. “Yup. Just the start of another uneventful school year.”

I didn’t know yet how wrong I would be.

* * *

**2 weeks, 4 days later**

**Nov. 20th, Tuesday**

_ John _

After all of our classes, my mind was left completely and utterly mushed. Everything I learned was blending with the coursework from last night. I could tell Alex was feeling the same way.

“Coffee?” he asked wearily.

“Can’t say no to that,” I responded, throwing down all of my books and putting on my light jacket. “Let’s go.”

We walked outside into the crisp air. It has a little bit of a sharp bite to it. Only a few people were out in the streets. 

When we arrived, I waited for Alex to order before I did. I pulled out my wallet, but he stopped me.

“Alex-please-”

He smiled. “I got you. It’s okay.”

Those few words made me feel both guilty and made my heart soar. We both knew Alex didn’t come from much, and he didn’t own much or have much money either. But I couldn’t turn him down. He was doing this for  _ me.  _ I did it for him.

I sipped my coffee: bitter, the way I like it, sugarless. Meanwhile, Alex was busy loading his with cream and sugar.

“How do you drink that?” I asked incredulously.

“How do you drink  _ that _ ?” he asked right back.

I playfully shoved him. He spluttered and we both laughed. I threw away my empty cup.

“Wait-I totally forgot!” said Alex, all of a sudden. “I put a book on hold at the library on politics and if I don’t pick it up before the library closes, they’re going to re-shelve it.”

“Okay. Meet you back on campus, then?” I ask. Alex nodded. “See you soon.”

I pushed open the door and headed down a few blocks. The sky outside was dark, and even fewer people walked the streets than before. If there wasn’t the occasional streetlight, I wouldn’t have been able to see anything. 

Then I heard the soft pattering behind me. Like...footsteps.

I ignored it and turned at one of the streets.  _ It’s nothing,  _ I tried to convince myself. But my breathing became more rapid and my heart started hammering faster. Hoping to lose whatever was following me, if there was anyone at all, I ran down one of the nearby alleyways, mostly filled with big, empty recycling boxes. There were no streetlights, and I could barely see.

_ This was a bad idea,  _ I thought.

The footsteps stopped.

I looked up. Something flitted at the corner of my vision. A shadow.

I kept moving.

_ You should have gone with Alex,  _ a voice in my head screamed.  _ Now you’re in a side alley at night. _

I tried to make out anything, anything at all with the faint moonlight. All I heard was a soft rustling. It was a dead end. 

I was trapped.

A rough hand pushed me to the ground, knocking the wind out of me. I struggled under the grip, but I couldn’t see anything. Finally, my flailing fist made contact with something. I heard a grunt and I pushed myself up, only to be slammed back down, hard, on the pavement. Pain flared in my side. 

I opened my mouth to scream, but something was shoved in my mouth. A wad of cloth. I started coughing. The cloth muffled my voice. It tasted...acidic.

A sedative.

_ What have I gotten myself into?  _ I thought as my vision spiraled and went as dark as the night sky.

* * *

_ Alexander _

_ John should be here by now,  _ I thought, tapping my pen impatiently. I had gotten my book from the library about twenty minutes ago, and I still hadn’t heard back from John yet. Shouldn’t he have already arrived earlier?

I tried calling him, but his number went straight to voicemail. I tried again. The same result.

I was beginning to get worried.

_ He can handle himself,  _ said a voice inside my head.  _ But what if he can’t?  _ Another voice worried.  _ I don’t know.  _

I uneasily climbed into my bed, only looking once at John’s abandoned one, the way he left it this morning, sheets half thrown on.

I shut my eyes and fell into a restless sleep.

John was not there when I woke up.

_ Maybe he already left,  _ I told myself.  _ That’s it. He just came back late and woke up early. _

“Yeah,” I said aloud, “But when does John ever wake up early?”

I knocked on Hercules and Lafayette’s door. A bleary-eyed Lafayette opened the door.

“What is it,  _ mon ami _ ?” he asked.

“Have you seen John?” I asked. “I can’t find him anywhere.”

“Did he leave early?” Laf asked, more awake now.

“I thought about that, but since when has John ever woken up early?”

“Good point.” Said Lafayette.

“Never,” said Hercules, emerging from behind.

I bit my lip.

“Hey,” said Hercules. “It’s okay. He’ll turn up.”

“I hope so,” I said. 

I shut the door and went back to our room to gather my books for my first class so I wouldn’t be late.

_ John,  _ I silently asked the skies,  _ Where are you? _

  
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

_ John _

I woke up to dim lighting and the humming of electricity. 

I took in my surroundings: I was in a large, concrete tunnel connecting to more of the same, some, like this graffitied. There were loose bulbs in the ceiling. I heard a whooshing sound, and watched as a white and blue streak passed by. If I were to guess, I would say I was somewhere in the underground subway.

I tried to move, to reach my phone if it was still in my jacket pocket, which I doubted, but there was rope tied firmly around my wrists and ankles. Now that I was awake, I could feel their firm and uncomfortable bite into my skin. Panicking, I began to struggle and almost choked on the gag in my mouth. All I succeeded in doing was rubbing my wrists red against the ropes.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” A voice said. I stopped and looked up. 

A figure dressed in a well-tailored black suit stood a few meters away from me. He was standing carefully, so the shadows hid his face.

I tried to scream, but my voice was muffled against the gag. I was terrified. 

Another figure emerged from behind. My heart nearly stopped when he shifted, and I noticed a small pistol in his hand.

I tried to shout “Get away from me!” but I couldn’t even understand the jumbled mess the cloth in my mouth turned it into.

“Take off the gag,” said the first, bigger figure. 

“You sure, King?” said the second figure.

_ King? A street name or something?  _

I couldn’t see it, but the glare King had given the other person must have been something because they immediately walked over to me and took my gag off. I gasped for breath. Clean air.

“What do you want with me?” I asked, trying to sound braver than I felt, which didn’t seem to work at all.

“We want you to tell us everything that you know about Alexander Hamilton.”

My chest seized up. I didn’t know what was happening here, but I didn’t want to involve my friends. Maybe more than a friend.

“I-” I stopped. I had to think. “Why?”

“Why should we tell you if you don’t tell us?” asked the second figure, folding his arms. The first figure pushed him aside.

“Your friend,” he said, his voice dangerously low, “Owes us a whole lot of money. And we want it back.”

“And what if I refuse?” I asked. King nodded. The second man pulled out his pistol. My heart skipped a beat.

“Then he shoots.”

My head started pounding with terror. I didn’t know what to do. I looked at the figure with the pistol. It wasn’t pointing towards my head or my chest, which was good.

_ They need me alive, if they want information. They will keep me for however long it takes… before they get Alex. They will use me as bait once I tell them where he lives. _

I took a deep breath and faced them. “I won’t tell you anything.”

A sudden, loud noise rang through the tunnel, echoing. I barely heard that for a second, though. My shoulder and arm had erupted in searing pain, like someone was pressing a white-hot poker to it. Like I had thrown myself in fire, and then in ice. I had never felt unimaginable pain like this before. I swooned, barely able to stay upright. My vision blurred into black, and suddenly I could only see stars, and a red tinge on the edge of my sight. And then I just stopped feeling at all, numb.

“Now you won’t get anything out of him!” said an aggravated voice. “What was that for?”

There was a response, but I didn't hear it, just a faint ringing.

The red closed in around the edges of my vision. Then there was nothing, nothing at all.

* * *

My eyes fluttered open, and the pain and numbness returned, along with the feeling of heat. I was sweating, dizzy, light-headed, and my face flushed and hot to the touch. What had happened?

_ They shot me.  _ I looked down and nearly fainted. There was some cloth wrapped around my upper arm, but it seemed pointless, as it was completely soaked through with my own blood, coating my jacket, which probably explained the light-headedness. How much blood was I losing? It did look more like the bullet had just grazed me though rather than sunk in, thankfully.

I shut my eyes. The footsteps returned.

“He’s still asleep,” said one impatient, irritable voice.

“Of course he is, idiot,” said the other. “You shot him. And from the looks of it, the wound is probably infected by now.

Which explained my feverish state. Lovely: If I wasn’t going to die of blood loss, I would die from infection or fever. Alone.

_ I’ve got to get out of here,  _ I thought desperately. _ Now, if I want a chance to live. _

So I waited.

Eventually, my faking sleep became real sleep. It was the best thing I’d ever felt. To be free of pain for just a few hours.

When I opened my eyes, the figures were gone. All there was were the dark underground and me. It must have been nighttime.

I twisted against my bonds. I slid my feet out of the rope, but my wrists were stuck tight. It was either try to release myself, or run now.

I ran.

I followed the train tracks to the right, hurrying. Every step was draining, and I had to stop and lean on the wall on multiple occasions. 

_ Almost there,  _ I told myself.  _ Almost there. _

Finally, I emerged into the dark light. What was it, two a.m.?

I could recognize where I’d emerged from the subway, close to an abandoned park Alex had taken me to once on the weekend. The gazebo was dark and empty.

_ Only a few steps more… _

I couldn’t focus, my vision was thinning out again. Numbness was re-setting in.

A shadow came from the darkness. No. Not again.

But I couldn’t take it anymore. A voice cried out my name. I collapsed into their arms.

* * *

_ Alex _

My night walk was supposed to be a relief. Instead, it only heightened my fears for John. I followed a path to an abandoned park a few blocks away from the college, where I’d taken John once to get some solitude. The word John was missing had spread fast, and it had been reported to the police. But I couldn’t wait.

_ If I were John, where would I be? _

I didn’t have to look very hard.

A figure emerged from the early, pre-dawn night. 

It was John.

“John!” I cried out. He lifted his head.

Then he passed out into my arms.

“Oh my god John,” I breathed, flipping him over. “I was so worried.”

Why I was talking to an unconscious figure was beyond me.

_ Eliza. I need someone who knows what they are doing.  _ Eliza was preparing for training in medical school and majoring in anthropology. I called her, and quickly dialed Hercules, Lafayette’s, Angelica, and Peggy’s numbers. 

I carefully turned John over. His face was pale, but flushed. And his coat was covered in blood.

_ Oh no no no no no. _

I texted Eliza.

**A.Ham: Eliza please I need you**

**A.Ham: It’s John**

**Eliza: Where are you?**

I breathed a sigh of relief. She’d gotten my message. I sent her my location. Two minutes later, Eliza’s car pulled up. She ran outside. “Where is he?”

“Here.” I said grimly.

She examined him. “What happened?”

“I don’t know! I decided to look for him myself. I thought,  _ if I was John, where would I go?  _ So I went where I would go, and there he was.”

My voice cracked. A tear slid down my face. Embarrassed, I wiped it away, but Eliza didn’t seem to notice. 

“He’s losing a lot of blood and has a fever. He has a bullet wound that looks infected, too. I’m calling 9-1-1.” she said, trying to stay calm.

Eliza pulled off John's coat and tried to staunch the blood. 

“It’s bad, isn’t it,” I whispered. She paused. “I really can’t tell right now, but I think something grazed him.” 

The ambulance pulled up a few seconds later. I didn’t really remember much after that. Just a stream of flashes in my memory. Everything seemed to blur together. I didn’t remember breaking down and crying, but I did remember Eliza trying to console me. I barely recalled the drive to the hospital in Eliza’s car, following her in a daze. The next time I looked up, I was in the waiting room.

“Alex.  _ Alex.”  _ I looked up and snapped out of my daze.

“Yeah?” I asked Eliza. My voice sounded hoarse from crying. “Look, I know how you’re feeling, but you can’t walk around with your head in the clouds, okay?”

“Okay.” I said.

“Hercules, Peggy, Laf, and Angelica just got your message. They said they’re on their way.”

I mutley nodded.

She put her hand on my arm. “Hey. It’ll be okay.”

“How long have we been waiting?” I asked.

“Two hours.”

“That’s two hours too long.”

Eliza laughed, and her smile made me want to, too, despite myself. I pulled my journal out of my pocket. It fell open to the last page. There was writing, in a different handwriting than my own. My eyes started flying across the page.

**_Alexander,_ **

**_My life is different now. I was helpless when I first met you, and I still am. So many things have changed, and even if I’ve only known you for a little while, I understand the way you feel about me. I feel the same way about you. I just want you to know that even if anything happens to either one of us, or between one of us, that I like you as more than just a friend._ **

**_From your Laurens_ **

From your Laurens. I smiled. I probably should have kept the diary in someplace more secure than leaving it on the desk, but I wasn’t particularly mad at John for picking it up. That was what I would have done in his position. 

I wrote back.

* * *

_ Eliza _

I felt really bad for Alex. I knew that he had harbored feelings for John, but he had also been walking around in a daze. I also kept reminding myself he didn’t like me like that.

So we waited.

Alex flipped through his diary. I stared at the ceiling and looked outside as the sun rose languidly. What day was it now? Thursday?

I wish I knew more, how to help both of them, but I wasn’t even in medical school yet. I had a lot of work to do. 

Alex looked up. “Hey, can I borrow your bobby pin?”

I pulled it out of my hair. The two strands it had pinned up in the back had fallen apart, framing my face.

I looked at him. “Why? Oh-you can’t really be thinking of doing that, are you?”

“Maybe?” he said.

He checked the hallway to see that there was no one else around, then knelt down at the door and inserted in the pin. He fidgeted with it for a good two minutes or so before the door swung open.

“I’ll wait for you,” I said. 

Just then, the door to this hallway swung open and Angelica, Peggy, Hercules, and Lafayette arrived.

“Hi,” said Peggy breathlessly. 

“Where’s Alex?” asked Hercules.

“He’s inside.” I said. 

“He unlocked the door?” asked Angelica incredulously.

“Yep.” I said. “I should have told him that I needed that bobby pin back. I’d give him a minute, if I were you.”

I watched through the crack of open space in between the door and the frame. John was sitting up in bed, and his right arm was in a sling, but other than that and his flushed face, he seemed okay. He wasn’t even hooked up to an IV anymore or anything. Alex was brushing stray hair from his forehead. They smiled at each other. Alex bent down and gave him a small kiss. A tiny part of me was jealous, but I pushed it aside. I was happy for them.

“Can we go in?” Lafayette asked.

“I don’t know, I guess so.” I said. “Maybe we could just say the door was left unlocked or something.”

Hesitantly, I pushed the door open. “You two good? There are visitors.”

Peggy barrelled through the door behind me. “John!”

“Shh!” I hissed. “We’re not supposed to be here!”

“Whatever,” said Hercules. “John! How are you?”

“ _ Tu es bon? _ ” Asked Lafayette.

“I’m fine,” said John. “And I still can’t understand you, Laf.”

“We were so worried,” I said. “Where were you?”

“Oh.” said John. “I was kidnapped? Just a little bit?”

Lafayette looked like he was about to choke. Peggy was beginning to panic. Hercules looked dazed. Angelica looked like her eyes were popping out of her head. 

“You...what?” I asked, going into overdrive. “Actually, you probably want some rest.”

“That would be nice,” John said reluctantly. 

He whispered something to Alex, who nodded. Angelica checked her watch. “It’s seven-thirty. We’ve missed one class.”

“I’ve missed two,” said Alex. 

“I’ll see you guys soon,” said John. “Probably at the end of the week.”

“Okay,” Peggy said. 

We left. When we arrived back on the campus a good half and hour later, I was already halfway through my second class. Everyone started staring at Laf and I as we slid in awkwardly. 

During my classes, I couldn’t really focus. I kept looking at Laf, and he couldn’t focus, either. He kept writing furiously, then scratching it out over and over and over. 

I started doodling in my notebook absentmindedly. They weren’t nearly as good as John’s, though. 

When I looked up again, class was over. I headed back to my dorm and flopped back on my bed, shutting my eyes.

I had a pile of coursework I had no idea how to do.

* * *

_ Alexander _

My grades were dropping, and I knew it. And dropping grades were dangerous if you wanted to hold onto your scholarship.

So when Professor Washington called me up to the front of his class the next day, I wasn’t surprised.

“Alexander,” he said. I cut him off. “If it’s about my grades, I know. I’m sorry. I just can’t focus right now.”

“Hey,” he said. “It’s okay. I heard about John. I know you are an A grade student, but you can’t let it distract you. He’ll be fine. Just keep yourself focused.”

I nodded. It was true. I should probably start paying more attention in class.

“One more thing,” he said. “Both your and Aaron’s applications were just accepted. Next month, you’ll host the visitors.”

“Okay,” I said. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he said. “Just wait until midterms are over.”

I was out of the door in seconds. Onto the next class.

I should have picked something easier to major in than politics.

The rest of the day was the same. The pace just kept picking up until my mind was mushed, but I could at least say I had been paying attention. Somehow, I even forgot to have both lunch and dinner, so I was starving by the time I went back upstairs, sweating from running around maniacally from one classroom to another, up and down stairs.

“You look like you’re about to drop,” noted Hercules as he let me enter his and Lafayette’s shared dorm. “Have you had anything to eat at all today?”

“A granola bar?” I suggested.

“You really are being stupid,” said Lafayette. “I’ll be back in ten minutes, okay?”

I was about to ask him where he was going, but decided not to. Exactly ten minutes later he returned with a plastic shopping bag. “I have food!” he announced.

I opened the bag. 

“You go to the store with funds,” I said, “And come back with more gum. And chips. And soda and dips.”

“Yup,” he said, grinning. “Dig in!”

That was probably the most random, unhealthy meal I had ever tasted. But eating it with Hercules and Lafayette made it seem like high-end cuisine. 

_ I wish John was here,  _ I thought as I finished up the last of the corn chips and salsa.  _ Maybe he would be able to stop Hercules from going through three cans of Sprite at once. _

After that, my mood felt more subdued. And eating made me feel a lot more tired.

“I’m going to sleep now. I don’t know about you, but eating makes me exhausted.” I said.

“If eating made you exhausted, Hercules would never be awake,” teased Lafayette.

“One second,” said Hercules, going into my dorm. He returned with a mattress and a blanket. “You can sleep with us tonight, if you want.”

“Sure,” I said, glad to be with someone. “It feels too quiet in there.”

“ _ Bien, _ ” said Lafayette. “Because we are going to binge-watch all of the Avengers movies.” He pulled out his computer.

“We are?” asked Hercules.

Lafayette glared at him. “Yes, we are. Why do you think I brought popcorn?”


End file.
